{"id":3849,"date":"2026-06-21T11:49:53","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T16:49:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/?page_id=3849"},"modified":"2026-06-22T14:54:01","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T19:54:01","slug":"parent-information","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/govschool\/about-mgs\/parent-information\/","title":{"rendered":"Parent Information"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

To the Parents of Gifted Mississippi Students<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First, congratulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raising a gifted child is both rewarding and challenging. Gifted students often think differently, ask deeper questions, seek meaningful connections, and crave opportunities to learn beyond the traditional classroom. Many spend years searching for peers who share their curiosity, ambition, creativity, and desire to make a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mississippi Governor’s School was created for students like yours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more than 45 years, the State of Mississippi has invested in gifted students through MGS because the future of our state depends on developing talented young people who are prepared to lead, serve, innovate, and contribute to their communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MGS Is More Than an Academic Program<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many families initially view MGS as an academic opportunity. While the courses are exceptional, the most significant growth often occurs outside the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MGS is a residential experience. Scholars live together, learn together, solve problems together, and build relationships with peers from across Mississippi. Throughout the program, students are expected to navigate new situations, engage with people from different backgrounds and perspectives, participate in team activities, and contribute positively to the community around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In many ways, MGS serves as a bridge between high school and college.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A College Experience with Guardrails<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

MGS is often described as a “college test drive.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students live in university residence halls, manage their schedules, navigate campus, build friendships, and learn how to balance responsibilities while away from home. Unlike college, however, MGS provides extensive support through faculty, residential staff, and program leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We intentionally create an environment where students can practice independence while knowing that adults are available to guide and support them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is My Student Ready for MGS?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Academic ability alone does not determine success at MGS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Successful scholars demonstrate emotional maturity, personal responsibility, flexibility, and a willingness to engage fully in the experience. They understand that not every activity will be their favorite, but they participate with a positive attitude because they recognize that growth often happens outside their comfort zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students should be prepared to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Manage personal hygiene and daily responsibilities independently<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Take medications without parental reminders<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Wake up on time and arrive prepared for scheduled activities<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Communicate their needs appropriately with staff and adults<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Navigate disagreements and social situations respectfully<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Participate fully in required activities, even when they are not personally preferred<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Manage homesickness, stress, frustration, and disappointment in healthy ways<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Live successfully within a community environment<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Ask for help when they need it<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Please note: Mississippi Governor\u2019s School is an intensive (schedule-packed), full two-week residential experience and is not designed to provide individualized therapeutic services, one-on-one supervision, personal aides, specialized behavioral support, or ongoing mental health treatment. Families should carefully consider whether the MGS environment is an appropriate fit for their student\u2019s individual needs before applying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    MGS cannot accommodate individualized training programs or outside commitments that interfere with full participation in the program. Examples include, but are not limited to, athletic training, band or music practice, debate preparation, competition training, private tutoring, independent research projects, virtual coursework, internships, employment obligations, or similar activities. There is limited downtime available for outside obligations.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Understanding the MGS Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    MGS is intentionally designed to help scholars engage with one another and the world around them. While students have access to their phones during designated times, MGS is not a screen-centered experience. Limited phone use encourages scholars to build relationships, participate in activities, and fully immerse themselves in the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We also ask scholars to arrive with an attitude of humility, respect, and openness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Many MGS scholars are accustomed to being among the highest-achieving students in their schools. They may be class leaders, top performers, team captains, award winners, or the student everyone else looks to for answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    At MGS, everyone has a story like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For many scholars, this is the first time they have been surrounded by peers who are just as talented, motivated, creative, and accomplished as they are. That experience can be both exciting and humbling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The students who gain the most from MGS are not those who try to prove they are the smartest person in the room. They are the students who arrive ready to learn from others, participate fully, and appreciate the strengths their peers bring to the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Respect matters. Kindness matters. How students treat their roommates, classmates, faculty, staff, and fellow scholars matters. A willingness to engage, listen, collaborate, and graciously participate, even in activities that may not be a personal favorite, often determines how much a student grows from the experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    At MGS, everyone is exceptional. What sets scholars apart is not their accomplishments. It is their character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Behavior and Community Expectations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    One of the most common questions parents ask is whether behavior problems occur at MGS. The answer is rarely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    MGS scholars are typically highly motivated, academically successful, and committed to making the most of the experience. Most concerns that arise are not serious misconduct. More often, they involve momentary lapses in judgment, students trying to fit in with a new group of peers, navigating social dynamics, or adjusting to an environment where they are no longer automatically the highest-achieving student in the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For many scholars, MGS is also their first exposure to classmates from different regions of Mississippi, faith traditions, political viewpoints, life experiences, and cultural backgrounds. That diversity is one of the greatest strengths of the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    At MGS, scholars are encouraged to ask questions, exchange ideas, and engage in meaningful conversations. They are not expected to agree with one another. They are expected to treat one another with dignity and respect. The ability to listen thoughtfully, disagree respectfully, and engage with people whose experiences differ from your own is an important part of leadership and personal growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    One of the greatest benefits of MGS is simply looking around the room and realizing how many talented people of different kinds exist in Mississippi. The friendships, conversations, and relationships formed during those two weeks often challenge assumptions, broaden perspectives, and create lasting connections. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We expect scholars to contribute positively to the community, demonstrate good judgment, and represent themselves, their families, their schools, and the State of Mississippi with maturity and respect. The goal is not to be the smartest person in the room. The goal is to learn from the remarkable people sitting beside you.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How Parents Can Help<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The best preparation for MGS begins long before move-in day. Encourage your student to take ownership of their responsibilities. Allow them to manage schedules, communicate with adults, solve minor problems independently, and make decisions without immediate parental intervention. Practice being away from home, disconnecting from their cell phone, participating in group activities, and stepping into unfamiliar situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Most importantly, encourage them to arrive with an open mind, a willingness to participate, and a desire to learn from others. Students who embrace the full experience, both inside and outside the classroom, gain the most from MGS. The goal is not perfection. The goal is readiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Trust the Process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Many students arrive nervous. Some worry about leaving home. Others worry about fitting in, making friends, or being challenged academically. What they often discover is a community filled with students who share their curiosity, ambition, and desire to make a positive difference in the world. For two weeks, scholars are surrounded by peers who enjoy learning, ask big questions, and care deeply about their communities and the future of Mississippi. They leave with new confidence, new friendships, new skills, and often a new understanding of who they can become.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That transformation is one of the reasons MGS has remained one of Mississippi’s most impactful educational experiences for more than four decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    To the Parents of Gifted Mississippi Students First, congratulations. Raising a gifted child is both rewarding and challenging. Gifted students often think differently, ask deeper questions, seek meaningful connections, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":0,"parent":701,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3849","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3849","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3849"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3849\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4042,"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3849\/revisions\/4042"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}